Ukrainian civilians were tortured
UN documents torture and deaths in occupied territories
December 19, 2023, 1:12 pm
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After nearly two years of war, it is now officially documented by the UN Human Rights Office: Russian occupiers are indiscriminately torturing and killing civilians in Ukraine. The UN High Commissioner counts at least 100 deaths and several cases of torture. This includes sexual violence.
The UN Human Rights Office has documented the deaths of at least 100 civilians in Russian custody in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, including the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula. Volker Durk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, said at least 39 people showed signs of torture before their deaths. He was referring to his committee’s new report on the situation in Ukraine. The numbers provided by Turk refer to the entire period since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
“Torture and other cruel treatment are widespread in detention centers in Russian-occupied territories,” Turk said. “Many of the torture cases we record involve sexual violence.” Russia does not allow UN human rights office teams into prison camps in the occupied territories, which is why documentation is difficult. Arbitrary arrests happen there. Teams cannot see Ukrainian POWs. The family also did not ask anything from their relatives.
The office is investigating six cases of alleged Russian soldiers killing civilians in the occupied territories, Turk said. Russia has announced that it has arrested two soldiers accused of killing a family of nine in the Donetsk region. Another Russian investigation is apparently underway. Turk said that Russia sometimes forces Ukrainians in the occupied territories to fight in the Russian army against their own people.
By the end of November, there were approximately 8,600 charges against residents of occupied or liberated territories in Ukraine. Judgment was given in 941 cases. In many cases, Turk said, people are apparently only running schools, social services or similar things. It is not a crime. Turk called on Ukrainian authorities to narrow the definition of “cooperation”.
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